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Things you should,
can and Must Do!
Welcome to
the third Written Complaints self help page.
The "Must
Do!" link will always take you back to the first of these help pages,
and this is the section of the website I think will become the biggest as
information is added.
Post your
story for others to read, they may be able to help with advice or just moral
support, again details in
"Your
Stories". For help on a personal level, go to
"Coping
Personally". For a bit of fun and light relief, click on
"Don't Get Mad, Get
Even".
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Writing to the Council
The most likely thing you will have been told is to notify some department
of your Local Council. You've done the phone call from the previous
"Initial
Contacts" page.This is now the complaint in
writing. I'm assuming if you've got here for this information that
you've got a computer and probably a reasonable printer or access to one.
This is going to make it much easier for you to send the Council (or Landlord)
a letter, and arrange copies to various other sources.
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Quote the address of the property where the problem neighbour lives. If the
Council (or whoever) don't know where you are telling them the problem is
then they can't help you. This should be across the top of your letter before
the "Dear Sirs" bit.
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Make sure you have the date, time and place of the incident(s) correct, and
the name(s) of those responsible, where you know them. See the
Diary entry
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State whether or not you had to call the Police. If the Police gave you a
Crime Report or Incident Number, quote that also. [Some Councils have got
co-operation initiatives in place with the local Police already]
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If there is damage involved, give a rough cost, and point out it has been
caused by the Council (landlord) Tenant involved. Tell them you are awaiting
a final cost estimate being prepared, and ask what is their (the Council's)
procedures for dealing with these matters.
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Ask for a copy of any Guidelines the Council has prepared in line with the
UK Government and Scottish Office Circulars dealing with Neighbour problems.
(They should have these, but many Councils do not yet, pleading poverty etc.)
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Ask for the name of the Council Officer who will be handling this matter,
and a contact phone number. BE FIRM but POLITE!
Insist on this as a "matter of continuity", especially if you are dealing
with a large Council. If you don't get a definite name, every time you call
or write, a different person will deal with the case, and will only do the
absolute minimum to get you off their backs. Ask for
an Officer to be assigned to the case, that
way you will be able to drop a letter onto his desk every
week or so to keep your file bubbling to the top of the dogpile.
Remember, these people will have a large caseload, and yours will be one
of many. Unless you keep the letters and info going, you won't get much done.
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Send copies! As a minimum you should copy your letter to your local Councillor,
your M.P., (and in Scotland, your M.S.P.) and the Director or Chief Executive
of the Department you are writing to.
 Consider also sending to the Chief Constable with a covering
letter asking for a higher Police profile in the area, especially if damage
or violence is involved. Copy the letter to your Employer. If things escalate,
you will probably be off or need time off work to deal with things. If there
are children involved, send a copy to the Reporter to the Children's Panel
(in Scotland), with a covering letter stating you are concerned about the
welfare of the children involved. The Social Work Department of your local
Council may well be involved already. Try to find out if they are and send
them a copy also. And there's the Environmental Health people if you think
there might be a health hazard from rubbish and the likes, and noise pollution
from over loud music.
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Take Notes, and Keep Records.
Remember to keep a copy for yourself in your file so you can refer to it
when any of these bodies contacts you back.
Text originally
prepared and © Mel Evans August 2000
Click on the links below,
these are continuation pages for "Must Do!"
Must
Do Initial
Contacts | Written Complaints
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